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The Graveyard - Products No Longer Supported => Routers / COVR => DIR-655 => Topic started by: BLR-IIC on June 01, 2011, 09:41:43 PM

Title: Wireless: Weak Connection, Random Dropping, Can't Connect When Detected
Post by: BLR-IIC on June 01, 2011, 09:41:43 PM
Hi all, I hope to find a solution to my problem here.  I've done some searching on this forum, and I see that many other users here have a problem similar to mine.  What I haven't found was a concrete solution.  I will try to explain my problem in detail as best as I can.

There are three laptops in my household, all of them HP, running Windows 7 Home Premium.  All three machines can connect to the router by wireless.  However, the connection randomly drops.  This does not happen to all three machines at once.  One or two may still have a connection, while the other will lose it, and sometimes only one will have a wireless connection.  They all go in and out.

When a connection is lost, the signal strength suddenly drops, usually from 5 bars down to 4 bars or 2 bars.  Then the little yellow triangle appears next to the bars on my machine's task bar, indicating that there is no internet access, but there is still wireless detected.  But then the connection completely disappears.

Bear in mind, this does not happen to all computers at once.

When I try to reconnect right away, Windows tells me that it cannot connect.  Maybe 10 minutes later, the connection will automatically come back.  However, the connection drops randomly.  The connection does not drop at regular time intervals.  It seems to be very random.

I know for sure that it's not the wireless cards on any of the laptops.  They work flawlessly on other wireless networks using wireless N connections, WPA-AES security, and so on.  But these computers don't work right at home with the DIR-655 Xtreme N router.

I've tried hard to figure out if it is the router settings causing these issues.  I have a slight feeling that it may have to do with whether I have AES or TKIP security selected.  The connection seems to last longer with TKIP, but it still drops randomly.

Right now, I am only able to post through being wired up.  I'm sitting next to my router with my laptop and it does not detect the wireless connection at all.  The distance between the router and the computer is really 5 inches.  Actually, just now, the connection showed up, but only at 2 bars strength, with nothing in the way but my wireless mouse.  This is ridiculous.

I am very tempted to ship this router back and buying something else.  I expected much better from this.  I really hope someone here can help me solve this frustrating problem.

Let me know if more information is needed.

Thank you.

P.S.  I notice that when I do any gaming over the wireless, it lags pretty bad, a lot worse than with the old router this is intended to replace.  Perhaps it's something to do with QoS?  I'm not sure.

EDIT:  There is no problem with my DSL connection, or the connection between the router and the modem.  Also, the wired connection performs perfectly.
Title: Re: Wireless: Weak Connection, Random Dropping, Can't Connect When Detected
Post by: FurryNutz on June 02, 2011, 07:05:58 AM
What wireless modes are you using?
Try using Single mode G and Mixed G and N to test?
Change from Auto channel scan to channel 1?
Any cordless house phones?
Any other WiFi routers in the area?

Try turning off QoS unless you have set up DCHP (Static) Reserved IP addresess for your gaming device on the router and a QoS rule for it.
Title: Re: Wireless: Weak Connection, Random Dropping, Can't Connect When Detected
Post by: BLR-IIC on June 02, 2011, 07:22:42 AM
There is one cordless house phone.  It and its receiver are located at the other end of the house, and is not in the way of transmission between the router and the computers.

There are no other WiFi routers.  The modem has built-in Wi-Fi router capability (Sagemcom SE567), but I found that was not the culprit, as I switched the modem to a non-wireless model and the D-Link router still had problems.

Right now the router is set to mixed N and G.  I'll give Channel 1 a try first, and if I still have problems, I will switch to pure G as well.  I'd rather not, after all this is the Xtreme N router!  But I guess what ever works.

I have not tried turning off QoS yet.  I don't think that would be a problem as I have not set any specials rules for it.

I'll report back with results.

Another question:  Will my wireless adapter pick up Channel 1, or do I have to set it to find that channel?  Right now it's set to Channel 11, but right now it's connected without a problem.  Perhaps it doesn't make a difference.  This particular wireless adapter is a Broadcomm a/b/g/n wireless adapter in a HP Pavilion dv6700 laptop.
Title: Re: Wireless: Weak Connection, Random Dropping, Can't Connect When Detected
Post by: FurryNutz on June 02, 2011, 07:37:57 AM
IF the DSL Modem has a built in router and WiFi, i would turn that off if your not using it.

What frequency is the house cordless phone?

The wireless adapters should and will automatically find and connect to what ever the router is set for.

Title: Re: Wireless: Weak Connection, Random Dropping, Can't Connect When Detected
Post by: BLR-IIC on June 02, 2011, 07:36:13 PM
I don't think the DSL modem is sending out a wireless signal.  It's WLAN light isn't on, nor is my computer detecting such a signal.

I said there was a cordless phone, however I cannot find it.  It might have been thrown out and I didn't know, not sure.  Will know soon.

I haven't had enough time yet to do more testing with the wireless.  I have now forced the router to run on Channel 1.  It's set to broadcast N and G signals.  From when I've been using it, it's been OK.  I'll need some more time with it though.

However I am experiencing unusually high pings when gaming wirelessly.  Disabling QoS will help fix that?
Title: Re: Wireless: Weak Connection, Random Dropping, Can't Connect When Detected
Post by: FurryNutz on June 03, 2011, 07:16:20 AM
Gaming wirelessly will generally see higher pings vs wired. Disable QoS and see if it helps. Might have to set up a rule in QoS and see if this helps too. Check out the gaming and gamefule sticky in the DGL-4500 forum and see if this might help as well.
Title: Re: Wireless: Weak Connection, Random Dropping, Can't Connect When Detected
Post by: BLR-IIC on June 03, 2011, 07:31:48 PM
Solely forcing Channel 1 did not help the connection drop issues.  It still happens, even at close range.  I'm going to try both a Channel 1 force and G broadcast.
Title: Re: Wireless: Weak Connection, Random Dropping, Can't Connect When Detected
Post by: FurryNutz on June 04, 2011, 09:22:30 AM
Let us know how it goes. Are there any log entries when this happens for the router?
Title: Re: Wireless: Weak Connection, Random Dropping, Can't Connect When Detected
Post by: BLR-IIC on June 06, 2011, 07:04:53 PM
Still no luck at all.  The connection STILL drops randomly.

I checked the logs and, for some reason, only shows the logs between May 13 and May 14.  I'm not quite sure why.  Does this function need to be reset somehow?  It dropped my connection tonight, June 6, at 9:35 PM, and that's not showing up in the log.

EDIT:  I now realize that I didn't post the firmware versions.

Firmware Version :      2.00NA , Wed, 12, May, 2010
Title: Re: Wireless: Weak Connection, Random Dropping, Can't Connect When Detected
Post by: FurryNutz on June 06, 2011, 08:20:34 PM
Is all the logging options enabled for your router?

Possible that you might try updating FW:
Do a factory reset.
Update FW.
Factory reset once more then setup the router. Try single and mixed modes.
Title: Re: Wireless: Weak Connection, Random Dropping, Can't Connect When Detected
Post by: BLR-IIC on June 07, 2011, 04:58:48 PM
I don't know what's wrong with this router, if I screwed up a date setting or what.  It's showing the current date as May 15, 2010.  Obviously that's wrong.  I haven't had time to try and do a firmware update yet.
Title: Re: Wireless: Weak Connection, Random Dropping, Can't Connect When Detected
Post by: FurryNutz on June 07, 2011, 06:05:58 PM
Sure your not looking at the FW date?

You can set up an NTP server and specify time.nist.gov so it will get correct date and time from there.
Title: Re: Wireless: Weak Connection, Random Dropping, Can't Connect When Detected
Post by: BLR-IIC on June 07, 2011, 06:16:24 PM
I'm pretty sure I'm not, since this clock keeps ticking by the second.

How do I specify that time server in the router config?
Title: Re: Wireless: Weak Connection, Random Dropping, Can't Connect When Detected
Post by: FurryNutz on June 07, 2011, 06:30:16 PM
Under Tools and Time
Title: Re: Wireless: Weak Connection, Random Dropping, Can't Connect When Detected
Post by: BLR-IIC on June 09, 2011, 06:15:52 PM
Ok, I may have isolated the problem.  I bought a different router from a different manufacturer and I'm having connection problems with it as well.  I'm thinking something introduced to my home is creating interference.  I don't know what it is.  

I am having a very hard time troubleshooting this issue, as this problem started a month ago.  When this happened, we thought our old router quit working.  It seems now that what ever made it quit broadcasting a wireless signal is causing problems with the other routers.  I have no idea what this may be, where it is, and how to fix it (well I guess removal would be the best way).

EDIT:  Others are trying to tell me that it's my computer that has a problem, when I know for a fact that this machine works fine with wifi but at my home, so don't tell me that it's my computer, because I know it isn't.
Title: Re: Wireless: Weak Connection, Random Dropping, Can't Connect When Detected
Post by: FurryNutz on June 09, 2011, 11:28:09 PM
Need to go thru the house and make sure all wireless devices are off. Turn off everything you can accept for one pc, try both wired and wireless. Then try a different PC and test again. Graduate adding devices. Might reveal something.

Might check out INSIDDer application as well as you might be getting some external interference from other WiFi routers near by.

Sounds like this is interference, just need to isolate it and get rid of it. Keep us posted.
Title: Re: Wireless: Weak Connection, Random Dropping, Can't Connect When Detected
Post by: BLR-IIC on June 13, 2011, 05:32:51 AM
UPDATE:  I found the problem!

It turns out that the interference culprit the whole time was a set of outdoor wireless cameras I had hooked up.  I turned the breaker off for those and now I have a good wireless signal!

Thank you very much for the help FurryNutz :)  I am excited about using my D-Link router to its full potential now!
Title: Re: Wireless: Weak Connection, Random Dropping, Can't Connect When Detected
Post by: FurryNutz on June 13, 2011, 07:24:04 AM
Good to hear man. Glad you found the issue and hope it work well for ya. Might need to change something on the wireless cameras if you still need to use them. Might be that there channel operations might not be discrete enough and just broadcasting bad signals.  :P
Title: Re: Wireless: Weak Connection, Random Dropping, Can't Connect When Detected
Post by: BLR-IIC on June 13, 2011, 01:52:01 PM
I'll see if I can't change the broadcast frequency on them.  They're pretty inexpensive IR cameras, so I'm not sure.